Background
Mahola was born in Bhisho, capital of the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa. She grew up near the city of Portuguese Elizabeth, and attended Trinity High School (which later amalgamated into Street Dominic"s Priory School). She grew up on Ntshekisa Street, a long and busy street in New Brighton, a township on the outskirts of Portuguese Elizabeth.
Career
Since 2002, she has been the lead singer of the South African music group Freshlyground. She worked as receptionist at Makro during weekends and school holidays. In 2011, Zolani and Freshlyground gave a free concert on Ntshekisa Street as part of their 10th birthday tour.
After studying drama at the University of Cape Town, she was cast in the lead role in the television drama Tsha-Tsha, which aired on SABC 1.
Mahola voiced the character of Zoë in the animated feature film, Zambezia (2012), and also recorded the song "Get Up" for the original motion picture soundtrack. In March 2013, Mahola announced her first pregnancy.
On 8 August 2013 Mahol birthed a son she named Zazi Bastion Mahola-Klemp with Nicholas. Music career
Mahola and six other musicians formed Freshlyground in Cape Town in 2002.
After Freshlyground published their second album, Nomvula, in 2004, The Sunday Times described Mahola as one of South Africa"s best and most inspiring young singers.
She traveled to Cape Town and Durban with English popular singer Robbie Williams in 2006. She sang on The Parlotones" third studio album, Stardust Galaxies (2009). At the 2010 Fédération internationale de football association World Cup, Mahola, with Freshlyground and Shakira, performed "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" in the opening and closing ceremonies.
At the Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2011, held on 25 July in Johannesburg, Mahola was among eight women honoured by the South African division of Glamour.
Glamour declared both her and her bandmate Kyla-Rose Smith "The Icons" of South African women in 2011.